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It’s Friday night, and the “On Air” sign at Island Radio has just blinked to life. A DJ steps into the booth, and the pulse in the main dining room – a mix of high, low and shared seating under a galaxy of moon-like orbs – quickens. At certain points in the evening, a wok in the rear kitchen will erupt in flame, a rush of heat throwing light on the glazed tiles and blushing shades of orange that surround you.

This back corner of the noodle bar and restaurant, which opened in November, makes up the heritage part of Wunderlich Lane, a $500 million development on the border of Surry Hills and Redfern comprising apartments, a hotel, supermarket and at least one aspirational homewares store selling scalloped glassware and resin side tables.

It’s January and the place is flushed with sun-kissed skin and linen. Two venues from Liquid and Larder (owners of CBD steakhouses Bistecca and The Gidley) are about to launch, Regina la Pizzeria is firing next door, and Olympus, a follow-up to The Apollo in Potts Point, is pumping.

Then there’s Island Radio. The sprawling venue is House Made Hospitality’s fifth opening in just a couple of months, after the group partnered with Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. And while the atmosphere and a menu that hops between Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines across 50 dishes could smack of too many committee meetings with executives who love beach clubs, Indonesian chef Andrianto Wirya does an exceptional job weaving the threads together.

On face value, shatteringly crisp roti stuffed with sweet king prawns, fried chicken glazed with a soy-vinegar adobo reduction, and satay padang featuring remarkably giving LP’s smoked ox tongue with sharp, savoury turmeric “gravy”, just don’t track. But as the dishes pile up, flavours cross over and influences blur in a way that starts to bridge the oceans between the islands.

In Wirya’s duck lumpia (a crisp, exploded version of the Filipino spring roll) you can spy the Chinese influence in the Philippines. In the noodles and curries – including a yellow curry of flathead that tastes of freshly pounded paste – there’s centuries of trade, movement and invention.

But the chef also takes liberties. A raw dish of yellowfin tuna is bright with lemongrass and tamarind, with charred grapefruit to squeeze over. Traditional? No. Delicious? Just ask the room, half of which is scooping the next bite onto cassava crackers. Fragrance and acidity are constants, keeping a table-load of dishes balanced when it could easily blow out.

Arguably, no one in the kitchen has a tougher job than Thattacha “Eddy” Ariyachinkul, who oversees the wok section. Eddy is responsible for three of the rice dishes, including the exceptional sinangag, which adds the luxurious crunch of a brown butter crumb to Filipino garlic fried rice. Some of the noodles I’ve eaten over a couple of visits could use less sauce, but it’s early days, and the command of flavour is really something.

Eddy, along with sous-chef Ferianto Guow, is also responsible for blitzing together the sambals that add so much depth to the menu, including a sweet, kombu-rich coconut version that comes with juicy turmeric-brined chicken, and whose flavour resonates throughout a meal.

Bali’s raw sambal matah lands with what has been Island Radio’s signature: babi guling. It’s a restaurant-style approximation of the famed whole-hog dish, but the result – half a spice-rubbed suckling pig roasted until crackling – has absolutely looked the part.

I say “looked”, because it’s not easy to order: the first time, it was sold out; the second, supply issues had seen it switch to pork belly, which was too chewy under too-dark crackling. Lettuce and pickles aren’t enough to make the comparison with lalapan – Indonesia’s bountiful platter of raw vegetables – stick. I’m told the suckling pig will return when the private rooms open, but for now, it feels like a missed opportunity.

“Half of the room is scooping yellowfin tuna with lemongrass and tamarind onto cassava crackers.”

Odds are they’ll get there, though, because the rest is just so promising. Ease and accessibility are built in, there’s a casual tone to the service that’s charming when it’s on, and cocktails do the tropical-disco thing well.

An all-Australian wine list keeps things in a refreshing zone without sacrificing interest. Add a noodle bar, a $44.50 banquet and a kiosk offering pumpkin rendang toasties, and it’s clear why House Made is at 14 venues and counting.

And yes, there’s a story about urban renewal, developer-run precincts and rapidly expanding hospitality groups here, but in Island Radio there’s also something else: a talented chef putting his own spin on food from regions crying out for more airplay. It’s time to tune in.